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Call for a formal description of this mod


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#1 Ascension64

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Posted 17 November 2007 - 06:16 AM

Just like almost every other mod for almost every game out there at present, there is a formal description of the mod that helps people pick and choose which mod that they might find suitable. Shadows over Soubar has been lacking any formal description for quite some time, and I think its important to change that. Such is it that even the archive doesn't contain a description about what the mod does.

Hence, I'd like to call on someone to provide a clear, succinct, and formal description of this mod (moreso than the current description in the SHS Download Centre) that describe in a little more detail what the mod offers.

It needn't spoil anything. For example, you might want to:
  • Give a little background on the mod (if there is a storyline attached)
  • Give a few statistics on new quests, NPCs (can name them), items, spells, sounds, music, etc.
  • Mention where some of the new content is/how to start the quest (if scattered, say something creative but not ambiguous)
  • Any notable features worth mentioning that really 'sell' the mod
Lastly, I would have done this if I knew what was in the mod, but I haven't played it. If we can't get one person who has experienced the whole mod to write the description, we can all work together to chip in on some data (spoiler warning has already been placed on topic title) to help collectively generate a description for the mod.

Remember, this description is to help players decide whether this mod may be the right one for them. IT NEEDN'T SPOIL ANYTHING.

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#2 melkor_morgoth75

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Posted 20 November 2007 - 07:49 AM

I will look (hopefully if i remember) at the old Mod files (i also have the first original pages of the mods ... years ago), so i should be able to grab something ...

I let u know if i find something interesting in my archives,

mm75

Edited by melkor_morgoth75, 20 November 2007 - 07:49 AM.

Tired of the same boring spawned creatures u face in BG? Try BGSpawn


#3 Azazello

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Posted 20 November 2007 - 11:51 PM

'Suburban Jub Collective' walkthrough would help whomever with some good ideas.

#4 melkor_morgoth75

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 12:31 AM

Does anyone send me please a chitin.key file. I don't have it at work and i'm currently trying to extract the ORIGINAL 1.00 game but it doens't let me do it. I guess it wants the .key or something else...

I tried creating both a wrong baldur.ini file and a chitin.key but ... still the same.

Anyone knows what does the installer look for to install SoS?

mm75

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#5 melkor_morgoth75

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 03:36 AM

Ok Ascension ... i was able to work out something at least, i hope it will be useful:


Shadows Over Soubar

---------------------------------------------
Tips To Fully Enjoy SoS (JUST Semi-Spoilers Included):

1) This is a large and engrossing expansion. I estimate that it adds about 25 hours of game play to the original game. It includes:
*4 new NPC's with their own related quests
*1 new kit for the thief class.
*1 new stronghold.
*over 100 new areas: both new or recycled.
*over 400 new creatures to interact with.
*over 400 new items, most of which can be used by the party.
*over 20 new stores in which to shop.
*over 30 mini-quests and 2 major quests.

2) Shadows Over Soubar was intended for a party who are skilled. A group of 5 adventurers with a level of 17-20 and a combined HP total of about
220 should have little difficulty completing all the quests, however there are two difficult battles which may give the party some difficulty.

3) All the original NPCs as well as the new NPCs interact in new ways through out the expansion. Nalia and the new NPC Charlotte are particularly
interesting when in the same group.

4) There is one particularly difficult quest-- that of the hunting for a spy. If you have difficulty with this quest, I suggest finding Charlotte the
NPC to get additional help.

5) During the final battle for Soubar, it would be wise for your PC to be at least 18th level or suffer dire consequences. This shouldn't be too much
of a problem, as long as you haven't made a bee-line straight to the final battle.



Hope this helps,

mm75

Tired of the same boring spawned creatures u face in BG? Try BGSpawn


#6 Ascension64

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 03:47 AM

Looking good, thanks mm75!

I was wondering if there could be a slight elaboration on the description that is currently disseminated on the SHS Download Centre and the main page as well. This description currently reads:

The player travels to the town of Soubar, where the Bhaalspawn's powers are sorely needed.

This makes me think: what is Soubar? What's wrong with Soubar? (without too much spoiling involved, of course, but currently it is completely non-descript) And 'the Bhaalspawn's powers are sorely needed' sounds rather inaccurate to me, unless that is what is intended. Are they specifically looking for a Bhaalspawn? A Bhaalspawn I think would imply fear, distrust, contempt, and perhaps even envy amongst the people. 'Help is sorely needed' works better, but is so generic. Perhaps you could spice this up a little.

2) Shadows Over Soubar was intended for a party who are skilled. A group of 5 adventurers with a level of 17-20 and a combined HP total of about
220 should have little difficulty completing all the quests, however there are two difficult battles which may give the party some difficulty.

Cool. Is editing allowed? I was thinking that last sentence about the difficult battles could instead be something along the lines of 'However, be prepared for some challenging battles.'

3) All the original NPCs as well as the new NPCs interact in new ways through out the expansion. Nalia and the new NPC Charlotte are particularly
interesting when in the same group.

We could reword slightly, but nice.

4) There is one particularly difficult quest-- that of the hunting for a spy. If you have difficulty with this quest, I suggest finding Charlotte the
NPC to get additional help.

Hmm, it is semi-spoiler. Not sure if this should be included, as it is, as you say, a tip.

5) During the final battle for Soubar, it would be wise for your PC to be at least 18th level or suffer dire consequences. This shouldn't be too much
of a problem, as long as you haven't made a bee-line straight to the final battle. [/b]

Another tip I guess. There is an SoS walkthrough available at Sorcerer's Place. Are these tips included in the walkthrough?

Thanks a heap for doing this.

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#7 melkor_morgoth75

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 06:35 AM

Of course u can change whatever u want mate.
I'm not so confortable with SoS unfortunately. I do know nearly everything about BG1 game and BG1 mods, but i don't know in the same way BG2 game and all its mods. (i know even commas about BG1, but i can't say i know the same for BG2 ... for now :-) If someone with a FULL SoS experience want to add something, please do so.

The SoS walkthrough is full of details here is something we can add about NPC:

1) There are four NPC?s that have been added with this mod. Charlotte, Bolivar, Tomas and Selence. I won't spoil anything else

The walkthrough didn't include the above tips.

mm75

Tired of the same boring spawned creatures u face in BG? Try BGSpawn


#8 Ascension64

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 03:19 PM

If anyone could contribute any small detail about 'What is Soubar? What's wrong with Soubar?', that should be the last piece of information required to make a complete description. Feel free to post anything 'unique' about the mod if anything springs to mind.

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#9 Azazello

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 04:14 PM

4) There is one particularly difficult quest-- that of the hunting for a spy. If you have difficulty with this quest, I suggest finding Charlotte the
NPC to get additional help.

Hmm, it is semi-spoiler. Not sure if this should be included, as it is, as you say, a tip.

I haven't finished SoS either, but such tips are sometimes very helpful, 'cause the way the mod was designed, it is presumed that certain NPCs will/should be in the party, best to tell the player to get ready for this ahead of time, rather than banging his/her head against the monitor trying to move a quest along.


Looky what I found: http://lion.phpwebho...~teambg/soubar/
:cheers:

{I suggest we copy that text to here. The other tabs on that site go to 404. Who knows how long the main tab will stick around...}

Edited by Azazello, 22 November 2007 - 04:17 PM.


#10 Chevalier

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 05:07 PM

In Soubar you solve a mystery so I am not too sure how much you want to give away.

I Ride for the King!


a.k.a. Chev


#11 Ascension64

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 07:12 PM

Nice catch. That's a meaty one! I'll swipe that, thanks.

by CBisson

The Year of the Spreading Spring was regarded merely as a year with a short rainy season and an unpleasantly warm summer. In fact, it was the harbinger of a trend that would alter all of Faerūn.

The water level of the Farsea Lake dropped until its edges were boggy and marshy, with an abundance of reeds. Swarms of insects bred in the warm, stagnant water left behind. The great desert Anauroch extended its boundaries southward.

As the desert marched south, so did the goblins. A few individuals straggled out first, but bands of refugees followed.

During the winter of 1089, Izac Uthor gathered the goblin armies near the abandoned village of Thandril, on the northwestern edge of the Goblin Marches. The host included nigh unto 200,000 goblins, tens of thousands of affiliated orcs and kobolds, and a few thousand hobgoblins leading detachments of goblins or orcs.

Of course, even a force of more than a quarter million combatants could hardly hope to conquer, much less occupy, the entire Western Realms north of the Fields of the Dead. Many tense discussions were held in Cormyr, Hill's Edge, Tilverton, Soubar, Shadowdale, and other places in harm's way.

Regular troops and the local militias were sent to Hill's Edge to join the main battle force uniting against the goblinoid horde.

They came from Beregost, Baldur's Gate, Berdusk, Iriaebor, Elturel, Scornubel, Soubar, and the reaches of the High Moor.

No sooner had all the forces arrived than a leader was found: Artur Blevin, commander of the home forces of Soubar.

The true tragedy of the Battle of Bones is not that the battleground became a gathering place of the undead. It is that the battle need never have occurred.

All troops on both sides were ordered onto the plain before dawn; all fought wherever they found their foe. No reserves were held back, and the sophisticated earthen defenses that had been thrown up were left behind in the armies' mutual eagerness to fight. The first rays of dawn did not much help the men in Artur Blevin's forces. In the night, almost a million feet had stirred the dust. Swirling with the smoke of a thousand fires, a thick haze hung over the battlefield and no wind dispersed that cloud. Among Artur Blevin's troops, none escaped unscathed.

-excerpts from Elminster's Ecologies

As with all large armies that assemble to fight, support services must trail and supply the needs of such a gathering. History precludes the individual acts of such services; what scholar needs to know how many swords were sharpened on the second day of battle? Or how many bowls of gruel were served by cooks? But history may overlook the less carnal needs of men, for it is clear that women followed these men, and those goblinkind, who had coin for many nights.

History reports Izac Uthor's deeds as a commander, not a brutish, petty demagogue seeking power and pleasure. Sages and historians need not know of his intimacies with women- human or otherwise.

Until now.

In retribution for the deaths of so many, one has risen to once again prove the might of goblinkind. This leader, as such, leads not by strength of character or strength of will, but by physical prowess and confidence. He demands vengeance for the death of his kin, yet has presented no terms for his assault on civilization. This half-breed insists on repaying the combined forces of demi-humans for their malicious attacks, and intends to begin by crushing the homeland of their ancient commander.

Blevin may be centuries dead, and none but the most learned sages recall the Battle of Bones, but history repeats itself. Sureblade, a half-orcan fighter, has come to the River Chionthar valley, intent on conquering the settlements for his kin and self. Sureblade, the confident and powerful son of Uthor, has assembled his own band, growing daily into an army of skilled mercenaries and bandits. Groups of orcs have flocked to his stronghold, and Sureblade will not stop until the town which bred his paternal ancestor's murderer is rubble.

This game mod (modification or module) is created for the BG2:SoA side of a BG2:ToB game (yes, BG2:ToB is required), as many people wouldn't want to go through a whole new game to reach ToB areas just to play this mod. With that in mind, most people who have played BG2 know that one of the plot quests is to save the village/town of Trademeet from evil druids, Calim rakashars, and the noble bickerings. "Shadows Over Soubar" picks up just after that. However, action in the mod does occur if you do not complete the entire sequence of quests in Trademeet, beginning directly after Imoen is kidnapped by the Cowls and Irenicus.

We know that war is brewing in Tethyr, and that the Sword Coast has experienced troubles since our hero left Candlekeep as a young adventurer. Power groups- the Iron Throne in particular- have been destroyed, and others are quick to grab for their own power. Including such enemies as Yaga-Sura, Melissan, and Irenicus. But there are other less twisted enemies that prey not on heroes, but on the simple folk. Folk who's only crime is that they live in a town where a great leader who met an orcan horde on the field of battle once lived. Farmers, herders, tradesmen, and merchants all are affected by those who claim power over thier lives. Now that sounds like a call for help! Which our great hero will answer. To the rescue we go!

So our story begins in Trademeet, where our hero learns that some mysterious men from the north are looking for them. What those men want, we are not sure. But after a time of searching Amn, our great hero finds a sneaky thief who 'employs' us to do some 'work.' After completing the jobs, the sneaky thief will finally tell our hero what needs to be done to move on. And our hero does indeed move on, finding some letters which leads them to the mysterious men. These mysterious men will explain the entire situation, and the hero can accept (continue the mod) or decline to help.


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#12 Ascension64

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 08:38 PM

Here we go, a tentative formal description of the mod.

Shadows Over Soubar is a Baldur's Gate II modification created for Shadows of Amn. However, the Throne of Bhaal expansion is required.

War is brewing in Tethyr, and the Sword Coast has experienced troubles since the protagonist left Candlekeep as a young adventurer. As powerful organisations crumble, others are quick to fill the void. Some twisted enemies prey on the simple folk. Folk who's only crime is that they live in a town where a great leader who met an orcan horde on the field of battle once lived. Farmers, herders, tradesmen, and merchants are all affected by those who claim power over their lives. Shadows Over Soubar picks up just after the protagonist saves the town of Trademeet from malignant forces. However, action in the mod does occur if one does not complete the entire sequence of quests in Trademeet, as it begins immediately after Imoen is taken by the Cowled Wizards.

FEATURES:

  • About 25 hours of gameplay for a skilled party of adventurers between levels 17-20 that begins in the town of Trademeet
  • 2 major quests, with over 30 side quests
  • 4 new joinable NPCs who interact with the party and have their own quests - some of these are required in the party to advance the storyline
  • 1 new kit for the thief class
  • 1 new stronghold
  • over 100 new areas, both new or recycled
  • over 400 new creatures to interact with
  • over 400 new items spread amongst more than 20 new stores and creatures that may be encountered during the player's journey


Comments?

The tips and the true background I think are best put in the SoS archive rather than as the overt description of the mod.

EDIT: Brevity.

Edited by Ascension64, 22 November 2007 - 10:59 PM.

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#13 Kaeloree

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 09:22 PM

Perhaps a little shorter? The "preferable" size for a website description is about this long. Of course, it can be longer, but it looks much nicer if it's shorter - and it's also easier for people to read.

Looking great so far, though :)

#14 Ascension64

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 11:00 PM

Edited above post. I think it is now shorter, if not the same length, as Darian NPC.

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#15 melkor_morgoth75

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Posted 23 November 2007 - 12:10 AM

Nice enough for me ;-)

cheers!

mm75

Tired of the same boring spawned creatures u face in BG? Try BGSpawn


#16 Kaeloree

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Posted 23 November 2007 - 12:17 AM

Looks great to me - would you like me to post it on the website? :)

#17 Azazello

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Posted 23 November 2007 - 02:55 AM

I like it.

Can we get the long descript put into a 'What is this'/ReadMe sticky?

#18 Ascension64

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Posted 23 November 2007 - 04:23 AM

Sure, and sure.

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Legacy: (BG/Tutu/BGT) Beregost Crash Fixer 1.9 (18 Jul 10) - (BG2) Enable conversations with charmed/dominated creatures (18 Jul 10) - (BG2) Experience Corrections (18 Jul 10) - (Misc) Platform Conversion Utility RC2 (13 Feb 10)